Verizon Holds National Contest to Discover the 'Hardest Working Small Biz Mom'

NEW YORK, May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With Mother's Day just a few days away, the Verizon Small Business Center has launched a contest to recognize mothers across America who run their own business.

Mother entrepreneurs can enter the contest, the Verizon Hardest Working Small Biz Mom (www.verizon.com/smallbizmom), by submitting a short video or written blog about a day in their lives. The grand-prize winner will receive $5,000, a year of free cleaning service valued at $2,400, and other valuable prizes.

"Many of Verizon's small-business customers are microbusinesses that often are started by entrepreneurs working from their homes," said Mary Yarbrough, a Verizon vice president of business marketing.  "We want the many mother entrepreneurs we have to tell us more about what they're doing, how they're doing it, and what it really takes to run a business and a family."

[Click here for a video of Yarbrough introducing the Verizon Hardest Working Small Biz Mom contest.]

Verizon's Hardest Working Small Biz Mom contest began on April 29 and runs through May 22.  It is open to both Verizon and Verizon Wireless customers.  Contestants need to submit a brief video (not to exceed two minutes) or a blog post (maximum 325 words) to this particular blog on the Verizon Small Biz Blog.  In addition to the grand-prize winner, Verizon will also select a second-prize winner, who will receive a free iPad and $1,000 prepaid gift card, and a third-prize winner, who will receive a $500 prepaid gift card.

Victoria Colligan, founder and CEO of Ladies Who Launch, a company that promotes women entrepreneurs, said, "It's phenomenal when small businesses – particularly women-owned – are recognized.  What a fun and rewarding contest for Verizon to run in honor of the moms who run their own business."  

For more information and contest rules, visit www.verizon.com/smallbizmom.

Colligan offers contest tips in this short video demonstrating how qualifying contestants can create and upload a video.  

Verizon plans to run a similar contest for fathers who are entrepreneurs, in time for Father's Day.  For exclusive insights from Verizon, news, tips and more, follow Verizon Small Biz on Twitter (www.twitter.com/VZSmallBiz), become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/verizonsmallbiz), or read the Verizon Small Biz Blog (www.verizon.com/smallbusinessblog).

In addition to Internet, TV and phone service, Verizon also offers small businesses many cloud-based, or online, services such as encryption and security solutions, plus an easy do-it-yourself website design application, and additional discounts on supplies and shipping. Visit the Verizon Small Business Center at http://business.verizon.net for more information.

More information on Verizon's products and services for small businesses is available by calling 888-481-0387 or visiting www.verizon.com/smallbusiness.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 104 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 196,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.  

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news.  To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon